VIDEO: Fishermen in Hastings protest over Brexit transition deal

Boats of fishermen protesting in Hastings. Photo: James Butler

The fishermen are taking part in a country-wide protest, which has also seen boats assemble in places such as Newscastle, Whitstable and Portsmouth.

They are protesting because they believe promises of control over UK waters on leaving the EU have been 'betrayed'.

Under the terms of a 20-month transition deal agreed last month, the UK is to continue following the terms of the CFP once it leaves the EU next year - allowing EU vessels to continue fishing in UK waters.

As a result, the current CFP quotas – which have long been criticised by fisherman both in Hastings and elsewhere in the UK – will remain in place until at least December 31 2020.

On a Facebook event for the protest in Hastings, a spokesman said: "Heartbreakingly, our government has capitulated to obeying all EU law after Brexit, consigning us to remaining trapped in the disastrous CFP (Common Fisheries Policy) until January 2021, and possibly trapped forever in exchange for a deal trade.

"The transition is a betrayal of the vote, of an opportunity and is a second surrender of communities.

"The protest's purpose is to take our industry’s plight to the public."

But commenting on the terms of the transition deal agreed last week, Hastings and Rye MP Amber Rudd said: “I know many fishermen in our towns have found this announcement disappointing, but we must look at the bigger picture and see that the prize is still out there.

"I fully understand the concerns our fishing community has about the CFP and its impact and I am clear that we must make the most of the opportunity leaving the EU offers us to take back control of our waters and to ensure a fair share of quota for UK fishermen.

“The implementation period will allow us to make a proper transition to a future outside the CFP.

"This will give us time to prepare ourselves to take full advantage of the opportunities for our coastal communities to revive economically, and for our marine environment to be managed sustainably. That is a significant prize, and I believe we must keep our eyes on it.”